(CNN) — There’s nothing better than roasting marshmallows over a crackling campfire, and, before retiring to a cozy tent beneath the stars, ordering a plate of Pad Thai on Seamless from a Michelin-recommended restaurant to be delivered straight to your campsite.
Yes, you read that right.
The camp offers a range of sleeping options for anyone game enough to sleep outdoors and wake up to fresh, ocean air. Campers can choose between sleeping in high-end safari-style tents with Casper mattress beds and solar-powered lights or reserving ground space to pitch your own tent.
Nestled in a partial maritime forest on the site of a former U.S. Army base now controlled by the National Park Service, Camp Rockaway’s tents are arranged in a semi-circle around a cozy fire pit tended to by camp employees.
Hot water is provided for coffee and tea, along with hammocks, a charging station for mobile phones and a key to immaculately clean restrooms and hot showers that are available exclusively to guests.
Located just a short bus or car-share ride away from the town of Rockaway Beach, food options are plentiful. Many will deliver. (This is still New York City, after all.)
The camp is the brainchild of local architect Kent Johnson, who started the project on Kickstarter in 2014, and finally got approval from National Park Service to offer it as a pilot program this year. He got the idea after seeing old photographs of summer tent cities that used to line New York’s beaches in the early 20th century. Now he wants to bring the experience back.
“I knew there was a place for this for New Yorkers,” Johnson said. “I wanted it to still feel like camping.”
The season for this camp lasts until November, and it may return next summer, so keep an eye out.
